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Undertake three practices for Lent

In last week’s reflection, I talked about "giving things up" for Lent. At this time, I would like to talk about three practices that are rooted in Scripture and strongly encouraged by the Catholic Church. While some of them do invite us to do without, they are all grounded in a positive approach that leads to growth in the spiritual life. These practices help us to live in greater harmony with our true selves, with one another and with Jesus Christ. The three practices are fasting, almsgiving and prayer. >>>

Emprendiendo tres prácticas durante la Cuaresma

En una refle-xión que recientemente hice, hablé sobre "sacrificar cosas" durante la Cuaresma. Hoy, me gustaría hablar sobre tres prácticas que están arraigadas en las Escrituras y que son fuertemente promovidas por la Iglesia Católica. Aunque algunas no nos provocan a hacerlas, todas están fijadas de una manera positiva que nos lleva al crecimiento de la vida espiritual. Estas prácticas nos ayudan a vivir en mayor armonía con nuestro propio ser, con los unos y otros y con Jesucristo. Ellas son: el ayuno, la limosna y la oración. >>>

Fasting and praying to keep immigrant families together

SALT LAKE CITY — A 9-year-old girl looks out the window every night, asking when her father is coming home; a college student weeps because her mother is in a deportation center. >>>

40-day vigil begins to end abortion

SALT LAKE CITY — As night fell on Ash Wednesday, more than 100 people gathered on the sidewalk beside the Planned Parenthood Metro Health Clinic in Salt Lake City to kick off the biannual 40 Days for Life campaign. >>>

A New Lieftuchter portrait comes to light

Felix B. Lieftuchter was the artist who painted the murals in the Cathedral of the Madeleine during World War I. Before, and presumably after, that project he decorated other churches and was also a portrait painter. Little is known of his life and career after he left Salt Lake City, but by the late 1960s he was living and working at a hotel in Mexico City called the "Casa Gonzalez." I have recently been in touch with a woman named Ursula Li who met him there and whose portrait he painted. That portrait, which she shares with us here, is remarkable to me for the high degree of its realism, which contrasts sharply with the stylized figures on the Cathedral murals. Here is her story as she related it to me: >>>

St. Patrick's Day and a forgotten tradition

The understanding of Ireland and Irish identity that many Irish-Americans labor under was set out memorably by Professor Thomas Corcoran of University College Dublin in an essay in the 1920s in which he wrote: "The Irish Nation is the Gaelic nation; its language and literature is the Gaelic language; its history is the history of the Gael. All other elements have no place in Irish national life, literature, and tradition." >>>

Ayuno y Oración para mantener unidas a las familias de inmigrantes

SALT LAKE CITY — Una niña de nueve años de edad todas las noches mira a través de una ventana preguntándose si su papá regresará a su casa; un estu-diante universitario se seca las lágrimas al recordar que su madre se encuentra detenida en un centro de deportación. >>>

Comienzan los '40-días de vigilia' para poner fin al aborto

SALT LAKE CITY — Conforme llegaba la noche el Miércoles de Ceniza, más de 100 personas se reunieron en las aceras cerca de la clínica Planned Parenthood Metro en Salt Lake City para inaugurar la campaña de 40 días por la Vida. >>>

Diocese's three Catholic high schools win region titles, individual records in winter sports

SALT LAKE CITY — The three Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Salt Lake City won region titles in various sports and improved on their personal best records in swimming. The teams endured challenges; Judge Memorial advanced to the UHSAA 4A classification in all sports but football, which is played in the fall, while other teams were young and rebuilding this year. >>>